Type-writing machine.



- PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. E. F. KUNATH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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E. F. KUNATH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION II LED MAR. 16, 1005.

PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

351 anoma y/Mm? Snow tom citizen of the United States, residing in Jar-.-

UNirnn' STRIPES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. KUNATH, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDER- W'OOD TYPEVRITER COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

ratentecl April 9, l907.

Application filed March 16, 1905. Serial No. 250,442. I

T 0 (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. KUNATH, a

sey- City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is. a-spe'ci- I fication.

This invention relates to the ribbon-controlling devices of type-writing machines, and particularly to the mechanism in frontstrike machines which vibrates the ribbon to cover and uncover the printingepoint at each type-stroke.

When writing stencils for use in mimeograph-work, it is necessary to let the types strike directly upon the sheet without the in-. tervention of a ribbon, and it is also desired to shift the ribbon vertically, so as to cause the types to strike upon either the upper or lower portion thereof in machines where polychromatic ribbons are to be used.

The objectof my invention is to provide simple and effective means for changing the machine from regular to mimeograph or sten- 011 work, and vice versa, and for brmgmgi either color-band of the ribbon into use at will. The invention may be carried out in differ: ent wa s; but preferably I provide a slot in "the rib, on-vibrating lever of the well-known Underwood type writing' machine, said slot being in line with the slot which is usu-' ally provided in the reciprocating ribbonactnat1ng-arm upon said machine. Said actuating arm and lever are unconnected except foran idle wrist, which extends loosely through both of the slots, so that a-backward ahd forward movement of said actuator is transmitted through said wrist to-the lever, thus effecting the vibration of the ribbon. By using a loose wrist Iain enabled to adjust it up and down in both slots away from and toward the pivot of the ribbon-vibrating lever, and hence it results that equal move- ;ments of said actuator may effect variable type-key stroke. By thismeans the ribbon is thrown from normal position up in front of the platen to use either'thc top edge portion or the lower edge portion of the ribbon, said portions being charged with differently-cob ored inks. Provision is also made for ad justing said wrist to a position where said actuator can no longer operate said lever, so

' that during the operation of the keys the ribbon rests in normal idle position, this being'a great advantage in mimoographing,.

where the impressions are made directly from the types.

Figure l in the accompanying drawings is a sectional elevation taken from front to rear of an Underwood front-strike type-writing machine, showing my improvemc nts ap lied thereto, the parts being shown in nornia position and the ribbon-vibrating me'iihanisin so adjusted as tobring into use the lower band of color upon the ribbon. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the principal portions of the ribbon-vibrating mechanism, the parts being shown in the same position as Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of portions of the ribbon mechanism shown, at Fig. 1, but

showing the parts adjusted so as to bring .into play the upperband of color upon the ribbon. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts so adjusted that the .reciprocating ribbon-actuator is notcapable of moving the ribbon into working position.

i Asusual in the Underwood writing-mabhine type-bars 1, carrying lower-case types 2 and upper-case types 3, strike rearwardly through a ribbon 4 against a platen 5, the latter being vertically shiftable to enable the difl'erent'types to print. At each type im pression the ribbon is vibrated vertically to cover and uncover the rinting-point, such movementbeing effected by a carrier l3, pivoted at its lower end at 7 upon an operatingarm 8 and being detachable from said arm. At its upper end the ribbon-carrier is guided for vertical movement by a part 2), which also serves-as the type-guide,,thc part 9 surmounting a segment 11, which also guides the lower part of the ribbon-carrier. 'lhe opei ating-arni S is pivoted at 12 upon a part 13 (if the platen-shifting mechanism, so that botp the operating-arm and the ribbon-carriel are shifted together with the platen,

and fro at each key-stroke in 'a'well-known manner, being pivoted in the rear upon links 19 and suitably supported in front upon part 11 by means of asliding tongue 20. Through the slot 15 in said lever-arm and the slot in said arm or actuator 17 extends loosely a wrist 21, which is supported upon a pair of links 22 23, pivoted in line at their lower ends to a pair of arms 25, which project forwardly from a horizontal rock-shaft 26. Said arms 25 are normally'stationary. The links 22 23, with the wrist 21, may idly vibrate baekwardly and forwardly with the actuator 17- and transmit the movement of the latter to the arm 14 of the lever, so that the carrier 6 is thrown up and down and the ribbon 4 is vibrated. I

In the position seen at Figs. 1 and 2 the idle wrist 21 works at the nearest point to the lever-pivot 12, so that the throw of the lever, and hence of the ribbon, during each type-stroke is greatest, and hence the bot tom band 27 of the ribbon is thrown up far enough to cover the printing-point, said band being usually red. The shaft 26 may be rocked to lift the links 22 23 and the idle wrist 21, carrying the latter to the po sition seen at Fig. 3, where the wrist is more remote fromthe lever-pivot 12, so that the lever and hence the ribbon are given shorter strokes, and hence the ribbon is not carried so far up in front of the platen,

and the upper band 28 thereon covers the printing-point and receives the impressions of the types, this band being usually black, although other colors of ink may be used.

This adjustment of the idle wrist is perfectly effected by means of a lever 29, having a finger-piece 30 at the front of the machine above the keyboard. Said lever is in the form of acrank and connected by a link 31 to an arm 31", which is also fixed upon said rock-shaft 26. V

At Figs. 1 and 2 the finger-piece 30 is shown as thrown down to its lowest position; but when it is thrown up to its highest position said rock-shaft 26 is vibrated to such an extent as to lift the idle wrist clear'out of the slot 15-in the ribbon-vibrating lever, so that during the movements of the actuator 17, that are effected by the type-bars 1,

' the lever remains motionless and the ribbon stands in its lowest or normal position, this position of the parts being seen at Fig. 4, thus permitting the types to strike upon the platen or paper without the intervention of the ribbon. I

To hold the mechanism wherever adjusted, I employ a (latent-plate 33, fixed to the rockshaft 26 and having three notches 32 34 35,

either of which may receive a spring-deteht 36, which is secured to a fixed part of the framework. \Vhen said detent 36 is in notch 33, as in Fig. 2, the lower color-band 27 is used; but when said detent is in notch 34 the upper color-band28 is used. When said detent is in notch 35, the ribbon remains motionless below the printing-point during the type-strokes. Thus by manipulating 'the finger-piece 30 either color-of ribbon niaybe used or the types may be caused to strike off from the ribbon.

In the Underwood machine the platen 5 is shifted up and down to enable the types 2 and 3 to print, said platen being mounted upon a carriage, (not shown) the latter having a roll 39, which rests upon a rail 40, to

- which said bracket 13 is fixed. 'This rail is' moved up and down'by means of a shift-key 41in a well-known manner. When the rail 40 moves up, the ribbon-lever 8 14 moves bodily therewith, together with the ribboncarrier 6, so that the relation of the ribbon to I mechanism after the carriage is shifted up is the same as already described. Thus the ribbon may either be shifted to either color band or kept out of use whether the lower case types 2 or upper-case types 3 are printing.

does not move so high during the shifting operation as the shifterail 40, it will be understood that the idle wrist 2]. (which moves upwardly as much as the rock-shaft 26) stands slightly nearer to the pivot 12 of the lever when the parts are shifted to theupper case position than whenin lower-case posi tion; unduly the ribbon-vibrating stroke of the lever, and to overcome this difficulty I cause this lever and ribbon to stand normally farther below the printing-point when the platen is in upper-case position than when it is in lower-case position, this result being wing to the fact that the rock-shaft 26 The result of this would be to increase ,effectedby slanting forwardly and upwardly the slot'lZ in the actuating-arm 16, as seen at ariations in construction and method of operation "may be resorted to within the scope of invention and portions of my iInwith a 'slot of a ribbon-vibrating lever having ;a slot,-a wrist loose in the slot of said actuator and alsoloose in the slot of said lever,

and means for adjusting said idle wrist so as to vall'y the length of the stroke of said lever.

v a type-writing machine, the combination with an actuator which reeiprocates at the keystrokes and is provided with a slot, of a ribbon-vibrating lever having a slot, a wrist loose in the slot of said actuator and also loose in the slot of said lever, and means for adjusting said idle wrist so as to vary the length of the stroke of said lever, and for ad- 'justin said wrist to a oint where it is incapab e of moving said ever.

3. In a type-writing machine, a ribbonvibrating mechanism comprising a slotted reciprocating actuator, a slotted lever, a

ribbon-carrier connected to said lever, a I wrist extending through the said slots and loose therein, means for supportin said idle wrist, and means for adjusting said supporting means to a plurality ofpositions.

4. In a type-writing machine, a ribbonvibrating mechanism comprising a; slotted reciprocating actuator, a slotted lever, a ribbon-carrier connected to said lever, a Wrist extending through the said slots and loosetherein, means for supporting said idle wrist, and means for adjusting said supporting means tothree positions, one for causing the upper edge of t e ribbon to be used, one ior'causing the lower edge of the ribbon to be used, and one forefiecting' disconnection between said s'lott'ed actuator and said lever.

5-. I;n a type-writing machine, a ribbonvibrating mechanism comprising a lever, a reciprocating actuator, a wrist having a loose connection to said lever and'a loose "connection to said actuator, andmeans for adjusting said wrist to cause equal movements of said actuator to eflect variable movements of said lever.

6. In a type-writing machine, a ribbonvibrating mechanism comprising a lever, a

reciprocating actuator,-- a wrist, having a loose connection to said lever and a loose connection to said actuator, means for ad v ,justing said wrist to cause equal movements of said actuator to effect variable movements 1 of said lever, and ,means for moving said 1 anrdle wrist extending through said'slots, a

wrist to a point at which it cannot affect said lever.

7. In a front-strike writinganachine, the combination of a reciprocating frame, a slotted actuator thereon, a wrist movable up and down in. the slot, a link device supporting said wrist, means for adjusting said link device to different positions, and a lever having a loose connection to said wrist.

8. In a front-strike writing-machine, the combination of a reciprocating frame, a

' slotted actuator thereon, a wrist mo'vable up and down in said'slot, a link device supporting said wrist, means for adjusting said link device to different positions, and a lever havinga loose connectionto said wrist; saidwrist being movable upon said link to' a point to render said lever inoperable by said actuator. v

9. In a type-writing machine, a ribbon vibrating mechanism comprising a reciproeating actuator having a slot, an idle wrist extending loosely through said slot, a ribbonvibrating lever by the side of said actuator, and having a slot through which said wrist also extends, links supporting said idle wrist, a rock-shaft having arms to which said links are pivoted, and a finger-piece for adjusting said rocleshaft.

1'0. In a. type-writing machine, a ribbonvibrating mechanism comprising a recipro eating actuator having a slot, an idle wrist extending loosel through said slot, a ribbonvibrating lever y the side oi said actuator,

and having a slot through which said wrist also extends, links supporting said idle wrist, a rock-shaft having arms to which said links are pivoted, and a finger-piece for ad usting said rock-shaft; one of said actuator and lever elements being so formedthat a movement of said idle wrist ei'l'ected by said rock shaft may render said lever inoperable by said actuator.

11. In a ty e-writing machine, a ribbonvibrating mec ianism comprising a reciprocating actuator having a slot, an idle wrist extending loosel through said slot, a ribbonvibrating lever iiy the side of said actuator, and having a slot through which said wrist also extends, links supporting said idle wrist, a rock-shaft having arms to which said links are pivoted, a finger-piece for adjusting said rock-shaft; one of said actuator and lever elements being so lorined that a movement of said lillO \v islteliected by said rock-shaft may render said lever inoperable by said ac tuator; and a detent for holding said 1'ock.

pair of links upon which said idle links are carried, arock-shaft having arms t0 winch 'seid idle links are pivoted, a. for holdingsaid rock-shaft in zmy of three positions, so that said idle Wrist may work in said leverslot either near the lever-pivot, remote from the lever-pivot, 01' meymove to a position outside of sitiii 1 l and a link connee I third {Li'ln upon sni E 33 WA? 

